Miami Heathttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/miami-heat
en-usSun, 02 Aug 2015 18:31:45 -0400Sun, 02 Aug 2015 18:31:45 -0400The latest news on Miami Heat from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-miami-heat-steal-justise-winslow-2015-6The Miami Heat — the team that landed the steal of the NBA Draft — are going to be good again sooner than people realizehttp://www.businessinsider.com/the-miami-heat-steal-justise-winslow-2015-6
Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:21:00 -0400Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/558d5ad369bedd7073daa49b-1065-799/justise-winslow-miami-heat.jpg" border="0" alt="justise winslow miami heat"></p><p>The Miami Heat's rebuilding timeline has gotten much shorter after a surprising night at the 2015 NBA Draft.</p>
<p>Justise Winslow — a versatile, 6'6" wing from Duke — fell to the Heat at No. 10, a considerable drop considering most of the NBA world thought he'd be a top-seven pick.</p>
<p>With Winslow, the Heat get a prospect considered more NBA-ready than many other players in the draft, and a player who can fill the increasingly important "3 and D" role.</p>
<p>The pick also gives them an injection of youth for a team suddenly stocked with younger, developing players and players in their primes. Winslow could be a future centerpiece if the Heat also re-sign point guard Goran Dragic (29 years old) and retain breakout big man Hassan Whiteside over the next two years. The Heat also still have Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, both of whom struggled through injuries last year, but were effective when healthy.</p>
<p>Of course, the Wade situation is the big one to monitor. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-miami-heat-contract-negotiations-2015-5">Wade reportedly wants to sign a long-term deal this offseason</a> while the Heat want him to opt into his contract for the 2015-16 season and then re-sign him in the summer of 2016. There's reportedly a difference in what the two sides want in money, with <a href="http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/03/report-dwyane-wade-would-welcome-a-contract-averaging-20-million-annually-over-next-three-years/">Wade asking for an average $20 million a year</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;the Heat hoping he'll take a paycut.</p>
<p>The Heat are in control here, however. What they want to pay Wade is probably around what his market value is. If Wade and his agent come around, they can stick with the team at a fair price. If he decides to leave, the Heat will have significant cap space for the huge summer of 2016, when the salary cap jumps to $88 million, thanks to the start of the NBA's new TV deal.</p>
<p>Though the Heat missed the playoffs last season, it was a somewhat tumultuous year as they dealt with the loss of LeBron James, injuries to Bosh and Wade, and a midseason trade for Dragic. Assuming Dragic and Wade are re-signed and Bosh is healthy, the Heat figure to be at least a middle-of-the-pack playoff team in a weak Eastern Conference.</p>
<p>In a few years, with the development of Winslow and Whiteside, plus their cap space (<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/dan-le-batard/article22776375.html">the Heat are angling for Kevin Durant in 2016</a>), the Heat could have a remarkably quick turnaround into a contender.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-miami-heat-steal-justise-winslow-2015-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-low-carb-diet-science-lose-weight-2015-6">This is why LeBron James is in such good shape</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-miami-heat-contract-negotiations-2015-5Dwyane Wade gave up $10 million last summer to help the Heat re-sign LeBron James, and now his contract situation is a messhttp://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-miami-heat-contract-negotiations-2015-5
Fri, 29 May 2015 10:42:00 -0400Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5568727969bedd204aa0e1b2-1018-763/dwyane-wade-2015.jpg" border="0" alt="dwyane wade 2015"></p><p>There is a "sizable gap" between Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in contract negotiations for a future deal, <a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2015/05/wade-heat-have-significant-difference-in-contract-negotiations-wade-open-to-leaving-heat-if-it-doesn.html">according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald</a>.</p>
<p>Wade is reportedly trying to make up some of the $41.6 million he gave up last summer when he opted out of the last two years of his deal to help the Heat re-sign LeBron James and retool the roster.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While James went back to Cleveland and Chris Bosh re-signed on a max deal,&nbsp;<a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/11218554/dwyane-wade-agrees-new-contract-miami-heat">Wade settled for a two-year, $31 million deal</a>&nbsp;with Miami, with a $16.1 million player option this summer.</p>
<p>As Jackson reports, the original belief was that Wade would opt into that player deal this summer so he could explore free agency in 2016 when the salary cap jumps to $88 million. But instead, he may seek a more lucrative <span>long-term&nbsp;</span>deal this summer that would pay him through age 36.</p>
<p>Jackson reports that while Wade's preference is to stay in Miami, he's open to going to other teams if he and the Heat can't agree on a number.</p>
<p>Miami's hesitancy to give Wade more money has to boil down to Wade's age and injuries. Wade will turn 34 next season and hasn't played over 70 games since the 2010-11 season. In the last two seasons, he's missed a combined 48 games. Though Wade is still a top guard in the NBA when healthy, he struggles to actually stay on the court.</p>
<p>Jackson notes that Heat president Pat Riley commented on Wade's health earlier this offseason, suggesting that Wade needs to take better care of his body:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"He's got to change the narrative himself about his body and about his injuries and about his missing games. And we had a discussion about this. But he always has to answer those questions, and I know those questions are legitimate because they're real.&nbsp;So night in and night out, there's always the question of whether or not he can or he can't. And so I'd like to have him try to get past that first hurdle mentally and do whatever he has to do to get himself ready to practice and himself ready to play, each and every night."</p>
<p>That Wade would suddenly want to turn down $16 million and become a free agent this summer before the huge salary cap jump next summer suggests he's aware of his own physical limitations. Though he missed 20 games this past year, he still averaged 21 points on 47% shooting with nearly five assists per game. Wade and his agent may be hoping to cash in on a solid season with a long-term deal, rather than risk a lesser 2015-16 season with more injuries.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for Wade, even if he decides to leave Miami, other teams are aware of his age and injury history, too. It's possible that Wade could find a team willing to pay him more than that $16 million number, but there would likely be some hesitancy. Even with the cap jump, paying an aging, injury-riddled, ball-dominant guard a near-max contract would be risky, and teams would probably want to keep the contract short in length or not guarantee all of the money.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for Wade, it's unlikely that he'll make up the $42 million he gave up last summer. Though he still has plenty of value in the league, teams are too wary of investing a lot of money in a player with Wade's age and injury history.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-miami-heat-contract-negotiations-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-lebron-james-spends-money-nba-salary-2015-4">How LeBron James spends his money</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/sixers-heat-tanking-2015-4The Sixers let their players coach and the Heat benched their starters in a game both teams wanted to losehttp://www.businessinsider.com/sixers-heat-tanking-2015-4
Thu, 16 Apr 2015 09:26:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img class="full" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/552fb4876bb3f71a3be8a4d8-900-675/joel-embiid-drawing-plays-sixers.jpg" border="0" alt="joel embiid drawing plays sixers"></p><p>With <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sixers-heat-draft-pick--2015-4">both teams heavily incentivized to lose</a>, Wednesday night's Philadelphia 76ers-Miami Heat game got weird.</p>
<p>The players didn't try to lose the game on purpose (this never happens in the NBA, see: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-knicks-draft-lottery-odds-2015-4">the Knicks</a>), but the respective teams put their players in the worst possible position to win.</p>
<p>In a trade last summer, the Sixers acquired the Heat's 2015 protected top-10 first-round draft pick. If the pick is in the top 10, the Heat keep it. If it's outside the top 10, the Sixers get it. With Miami sitting in 10th place entering the game, both teams had a chance to dramatically increase their odds of getting the pick by losing.</p>
<p>As Brandon Lee Gowton of Liberty Ballers <a href="http://www.libertyballers.com/2015/4/15/8424711/sixers-heat-final-score-philadelphia-miami-season-finale-105-11">put it after the game</a>: "Both teams tanked pretty hard. In the end, the Sixers tanked harder and they lost."</p>
<p>Miami won, 105-101, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.</p>
<p>Nerlens Noel, Philly's best player, didn't play for a third straight game. Neither did Ish Smith, leaving the team without a true point guard — it played only seven players total.</p>
<p>The players who didn't play took on coaching responsibilities. First-round pick Joel Embiid, who didn't play all year because of a broken foot, was drawing up plays in the huddle:</p>
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<p>Noel got in on the coaching action as well:</p>
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Guys NERLENS IS DRAWING UP A PLAY <a href="http://t.co/R3J6W4HtQR">pic.twitter.com/R3J6W4HtQR</a> </p>— Jim Adair (@jimadair3) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/588502409829318656">April 16, 2015</a>
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<p class="embed-spacer">The <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400579519">Associated Press wrote after the game</a> of Sixers coach Brett Brown: "Brown let several of the bench players draw up plays in the huddle. Guard Jason Richardson joked the Sixers scored on all of his plays."</p>
<p class="embed-spacer">Not to be outdone, the Heat benched the entire lineup that started Monday night's game against the Orlando Magic before they were eliminated from playoff contention. Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, Luol Deng, Chris Andersen, and Mario Chalmers were all voluntarily benched.</p>
<p class="embed-spacer">Not only that, they played the bench players the entire 48 minutes, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/4/16/8427305/heat-vs-sixers-scrubs-no-substitutions-michael-beasley-james-ennis">Tom Ziller of SB Nation first pointed out</a>, making only two substitutions the entire game:</p>
<p class="embed-spacer"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/552fb2ad6bb3f77f3be8a4db-906-407/heat-sixers-tanking.jpg" border="0" alt="heat sixers tanking"></p>
<p class="embed-spacer">Ultimately all this tanking was for nothing. Because the Brooklyn Nets beat the Magic, the Heat hung on to the 10th spot in the NBA Draft lottery and still have a 90.9% chance of keeping their pick despite the win (it would have been a 2.9% chance if they fell to the No. 11 spot).</p>
<p class="embed-spacer">But because the Nets-Magic game was happening at the same time, the Sixers and the Heat tanked as if their lives depended on it.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sixers-heat-tanking-2015-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-insider-terms-lingo-vince-mcmahon-chris-jericho-2015-2">This video will change the way you watch the WWE</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/sixers-heat-draft-pick--2015-4In Wednesday's Sixers-Heat game — the weirdest game of the NBA season — both teams have to losehttp://www.businessinsider.com/sixers-heat-draft-pick--2015-4
Wed, 15 Apr 2015 10:08:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/51ba908f6bb3f70503000005-1200-900/dwyane-wade-game-4.jpg" border="0" alt="dwyane wade game 4"></p><p>The Philadelphia 76ers play the Miami Heat on Wednesday night in a battle for Miami's 2015 first-round draft pick.</p>
<p>The situation is simple: Both teams have to lose.</p>
<p>Miami originally traded its 2015 first-round pick to Cleveland in 2010 as part of the LeBron James sign-and-trade. Last summer, Philadelphia acquired the pick from Cleveland as part of the Kevin Love trade.</p>
<p>The catch: The pick is top-10-protected. The Heat keep it if it's one of the top-10 picks in the draft, but the Sixers get if it's pick No. 11 or later.</p>
<p>Right now the Heat — who were eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday — have the 10th-worst record in the league. If they lose to Philly, they will stay in that position and will have about a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/inside-numbers-draft-lottery-qa">90.9% chance</a> of keeping their pick.</p>
<p>If they win, things get more complicated.</p>
<p>Brooklyn is one game ahead of Miami in the standings. If the Nets lose to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday and the Heat win, a coin flip will decide which team is 10th and which team is 11th in the NBA Draft lottery.</p>
<p>Based on <a href="http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/inside-numbers-draft-lottery-qa">the lottery odds</a>, the Heat would have only a 2.9% chance of keeping their pick if they lost that coin loss to the Nets and finished 11th.</p>
<p>If Miami wins, they need help to keep their draft pick. Either Brooklyn has to beat Orlando, or Miami has to win the lottery coin toss.</p>
<p>So the scenarios look like this. Only a loss avoids the nightmare scenario:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Miami loses:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> 90.9% chance they keep their pick</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Miami wins, Brooklyn loses:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> 46.9% chance they keep their pick (90.9% chance if they win coin toss, 2.9% chance if they lose the coin toss)</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Miami wins, Brooklyn wins:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> 90.9% chance they keep their pick</span></li>
</ul>
<p>What makes this game doubly odd is that the Sixers want to lose, too.</p>
<p>Not only will it dramatically improve their chances of getting that Miami pick (as detailed above), but it could also improve their chances of grabbing the No. 1 pick in the draft.</p>
<p>Right now, Philly has the third-worst record in the league, one game behind the New York Knicks. If the suddenly hot Knicks win again on Wednesday and the Sixers lose, they'll move into a tie for the second-worst record and have a better shot at getting the top pick.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sixers-heat-draft-pick--2015-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-insider-terms-lingo-vince-mcmahon-chris-jericho-2015-2">This video will change the way you watch the WWE</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-house-asking-price-2015-3LeBron James cut $2 million off the price of his Miami mansionhttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-house-asking-price-2015-3
Sun, 22 Mar 2015 09:03:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/542ef3abeab8eacc2a5c0cbf-1063-797/lebron-james-house-2014-1.jpg" border="0" alt="lebron james house 2014"></p><p>LeBron James has <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2015/03/18/lebron-james-kingsized-miami-home-reduced-to-15m.php">reduced the price of his Miami estate to $15 million</a>, Curbed reports.</p>
<p>It was <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2014/10/03/lebron-james-lists-miami-home-for-sale.html">priced at $17 million</a> when it went on the market in October.</p>
<p>It is listed by Opulence International Realty, <a href="http://www.opulenceinternationalrealty.com/miami-mls-listing/A2014251.htm">which calls the house</a> "the most opulent estate in Miami."</p>
<p>It has an infinity pool that overlooks Biscayne Bay, a maze of terraces, a movie room, and a massive master suite. The photos make it look incredible.</p><h3>The outdoor space is the best part.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/542ee8bbecad045450e7dade-400-300/the-outdoor-space-is-the-best-part.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The concrete dock has room for two 60-foot yachts.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/542ee8be6bb3f7c2665c0cc6-400-300/the-concrete-dock-has-room-for-two-60-foot-yachts.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The infinity pool overlooks Biscayne Bay.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/542ee8bb69beddc66589a610-400-300/the-infinity-pool-overlooks-biscayne-bay.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-house-asking-price-2015-3#the-pool-has-two-fountains-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-calls-dwyane-wade-shot-2015-3LeBron James predicted Dwyane Wade's game-winning shot exactly while watching on TVhttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-calls-dwyane-wade-shot-2015-3
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 10:48:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img class="full" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/550adf6269bedd0a120069ee-1200-667/screen%20shot%202015-03-19%20at%2010.37.42%20am.png" border="0" alt="dwyane wade game winner"></p><p>LeBron James, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-memory-2014-7">a basketball genius with a famously sharp memory</a>, correctly predicted Dwyane Wade's game-winning shot against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night while watching it on TV in the Cavaliers locker room.</p>
<p>According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal, LeBron <a href="http://www.ohio.com/blogs/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-1.275356/cavs-117-nets-92-jason-lloyd-s-26-thoughts-on-ball-movement-lebron-inside-and-defensive-concerns-1.576174#.VQq_xoa0h1Y.twitter">was watching the final possession of the Heat-Blazers game when he said to himself</a>, "Left to right stepback."</p>
<p>Then this happened:</p>
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<p>There are all sorts of anecdotes about LeBron's exceptional recall. One of his childhood friends <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11067098/lebron-james-greatest-weapon-brain">told ESPN's Brian Windhorst</a> that you can't be the same team twice against him in Madden because he remembers which plays you ran. Before a Heat-Warriors game in 2014, LeBron corrected a reporter who misstated the exact details of a game-winning shot he hit there five years earlier, Windhorst reports.</p>
<p>He can read the game faster than anyone else because he has a mental log of his opponents' tendencies.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-calls-dwyane-wade-shot-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-insider-terms-lingo-vince-mcmahon-chris-jericho-2015-2">This video will change the way you watch the WWE</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-house-asking-price-2015-3LeBron James cut $2 million off the price of his Miami mansionhttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-house-asking-price-2015-3
Wed, 18 Mar 2015 10:54:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/542ef3abeab8eacc2a5c0cbf-1063-797/lebron-james-house-2014-1.jpg" border="0" alt="lebron james house 2014"></p><p>LeBron James has <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2015/03/18/lebron-james-kingsized-miami-home-reduced-to-15m.php">reduced the price of his Miami estate to $15 million</a>, Curbed reports.</p>
<p>It was <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2014/10/03/lebron-james-lists-miami-home-for-sale.html">priced at $17 million</a> when it went on the market in October.</p>
<p>It is listed by Opulence International Realty, <a href="http://www.opulenceinternationalrealty.com/miami-mls-listing/A2014251.htm">which calls the house</a> "the most opulent estate in Miami."</p>
<p>It has an infinity pool that overlooks Biscayne Bay, a maze of terraces, a movie room, and a massive master suite. The photos make it look incredible.</p><h3>The outdoor space is the best part.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/542ee8bbecad045450e7dade-400-300/the-outdoor-space-is-the-best-part.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The concrete dock has room for two 60-foot yachts.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/542ee8be6bb3f7c2665c0cc6-400-300/the-concrete-dock-has-room-for-two-60-foot-yachts.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The infinity pool overlooks Biscayne Bay.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/542ee8bb69beddc66589a610-400-300/the-infinity-pool-overlooks-biscayne-bay.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-house-asking-price-2015-3#the-pool-has-two-fountains-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/markieff-morris-flagrant-foul-on-goran-dragic-2015-3A Phoenix Suns player was ejected for a hard foul on the ex-teammate who forced a trade 2 weeks agohttp://www.businessinsider.com/markieff-morris-flagrant-foul-on-goran-dragic-2015-3
Tue, 03 Mar 2015 09:57:00 -0500Scott Davis
<p>Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic got his first look at his old team Monday night two weeks after <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/phoenix-suns-looking-to-trade-goran-dragic-2015-2">he demanded a trade</a>.</p>
<p>Before the trade deadline, Dragic told the Suns he wasn't going to re-sign as a free agent this summer, and asked for a trade to several teams — one of which was the Heat. After initially taking a hard line, the Suns eventually obliged and sent him to Miami.</p>
<p>In the third quarter, Dragic got a steal and took off for a fastbreak layup with former teammate, power forward Markieff Morris, chasing him from behind.</p>
<p>As Dragic went up for the layup, Morris came from behind and swatted at the ball, body-checking Dragic in midair and sending him flying to the baseline among the camera crews.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54f5c5f76bb3f7fe48d2375e/markieff morris flagrant on goran dragic 1.gif" border="0" alt="Markieff Morris flagrant on Goran Dragic 1"></p>
<p>Dragic stayed down for several moments before getting back up. The officials went to the sidelines to review the call, and ruled it a flagrant 1, meaning Morris' contact was excessive and not directed at the ball.</p>
<p>Replays showed Morris took a subtle shot at Dragic's head.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54f5c6596da811f565df0cf3/markieff morris flagrant on goran dragic 2.gif" border="0" alt="Markieff Morris flagrant on Goran Dragic 2">&nbsp;</p>
<p>A flagrant 1 isn't an eject-able offense, but it was Morris' second technical foul of the night, thus resulting in an ejection.</p>
<p>Tempers continued to flare later in the game. In the third quarter, Hassan Whiteside of the Heat and Alex Len of the Suns got into a shoving match under the basket that resulted in ejections as well.</p>
<p>The Heat got the last laugh, winning the game 115-98, with Dragic scoring 21 points in just 15 minutes.</p>
<p><span>Dragic, who was playing with back spasms,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20150302/PHXMIA/gameinfo.html?ls=slt">said after the game he probably wouldn't have played</a><span>&nbsp;if it was any other team.</span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/markieff-morris-flagrant-foul-on-goran-dragic-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-miami-heat-2015-2LeBron James' first season back in Cleveland is starting to look a lot like his first season in Miamihttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-miami-heat-2015-2
Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:06:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers' season got off to a slow start, hit a big bump in the middle, and people wondered if the team's makeup was a mistake. However, ever since LeBron James' 8-game mini-vacation during which <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-on-fire-since-injury-break-2015-2">he didn't touch a basketball</a> and ever since coach <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/david-blatt-cavs-bowling-2015-2">David Blatt took the team bowling instead of practice</a>, the Cavs are red hot and on a run similar to one the Miami Heat went on in LeBron's first season in South Beach.</p>
<p>Over their last 19 games, the Cavs are 17-2 and are outscoring their opponents by 12.3 points per game. After a rough start to the Big 3's first run in Miami, the Heat went on a similar 21-1 run during which they outscored their opponents by 12.2 points per game.</p>
<p>The Heat were able to maintain that momentum all the way to the NBA Finals. We don't know yet if this year's Cavs will do the same, but this is the first good sign that they can.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54ef84e86bb3f7095086bccb-800-600/03-54.png" border="0" alt="Cleveland Cavaliers Chart"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-miami-heat-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-heat-playoffs-2015-2LeBron James is on pace to face the Miami Heat in what would be the most anticipated first-round NBA playoff series everhttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-heat-playoffs-2015-2
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 16:40:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54ecbeb5eab8ea546053db60-1200-924/dwyane-wade-and-lebron-james.jpg" border="0" alt="Dwyane Wade and LeBron James"></p><p>With about 25 games remaining in the NBA's regular season, what is just a whisper right now is going to grow into a loud roar if things keep going at their current pace.</p>
<p>There is an excellent chance LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs.</p>
<p>If the season ended today, the Cavs would actually be the 4-seed and would face the Washington Wizards and the Heat would be the 7-seed and face the Toronto Raptors.</p>
<p>But the season does not end today and the Cavs are red hot.</p>
<p>Over their last 18 games, the Cavs are 16-2. During the same stretch, the two teams ahead of Cleveland in the standings, the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, are 10-8 and 11-7 respectively. What was a 7.5-game gap between the Raptors and the Cavs is suddenly just 2.5 games.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54ecc0826da8118c6209bdf4-800-423/2-24-2015 11-57-46 am-1.png" border="0" alt="NBA Standings">&nbsp;</p>
<p>Of course, the Heat also need to stay ahead of the five teams on their tail and any potential match-up between the Cavs and Miami and would be muted by the loss of Chris Bosh who will miss the rest of the season while being treated for blood clots in his lungs.</p>
<p>But seven months after James left the Heat to return home, Commissioner Adam Silver and the playoff networks, ESPN and TNT, must be licking their lips.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-miami-heat-playoffs-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/nba-trades-deadline-2015-2The NBA exploded in one of the craziest trade deadlines ever — here's the full list of dealshttp://www.businessinsider.com/nba-trades-deadline-2015-2
Thu, 19 Feb 2015 16:34:00 -0500Tony Manfred and Scott Davis
<p><img class="full" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54e6564beab8ea715cf89ce3-1200-924/isiah-thomas-phoenix-suns-trade-deadline-2.jpg" border="0" alt="isiah thomas phoenix suns trade deadline"></p><p>An avalanche of trades hit the NBA in the final hour of Thursday's trade deadline.</p>
<p>There were deals involving dozens of players from nearly half the teams in the league. The biggest stars to move were Goran Dragic (to the Heat), Enes Kanter (to the Thunder), and Brandon Knight (to the Suns). Elsewhere, the Philadelphia 76ers flipped a bunch of assets for picks.</p>
<p>Here's a complete rundown of the trades being reported (updating):</p>
<h3><strong>Goran Dragic <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--suns-move-goran-dragic--isaiah-thomas-in-separate-multi-players-deals-203944190.html">to the Miami Heat from the Denver Nuggets in a three-team deal</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Miami gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Goran Dragic, Zoran Dragic</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Phoenix gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;Danny Granger, Justin Hamilton, John Salmons, two 1st-round picks</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">New Orleans gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Norris Cole (<a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12348588/phoenix-suns-trade-goran-dragic-miami-heat">per ESPN</a>), Shawne Williams (<a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/568519954279964672">per Woj</a>)</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Enes Kanter <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--thunder-trade-reggie-jackson-to-pistons-201419618.html">to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Reggie Jackson to the Detroit Pistons in a three-team deal</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Oklahoma City gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Enes Kanter, Kyle Singler, D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Utah gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Kendrick Perkins, Grant Jerrett, protected future Oklahoma City 1st-round pick, Detroit 2nd-round pick, rights to Tibor Pleiss (<a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN/status/568530938642042880">per ESPN</a>)<br></span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Detroit gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Reggie Jackson</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>The Suns, Sixers, Bucks, and Celtics engage in <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2015/02/19/suns-bucks-76ers-trade-brandon-knight-tyler-ennis-michael-carter-williams/23688631/">a massive four-team trade</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Phoenix gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Brandon Knight, Marcus Thorton, Cleveland's 2016 1st-round pick (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--suns-move-goran-dragic--isaiah-thomas-in-separate-multi-players-deals-203944190.html">per Woj</a>)</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Philadelphia gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Los Angeles Lakers 2015 1st-round pick (top-five protected)</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Milwaukee gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Michael Carter-Williams, Miles Plumlee, Tyler Ennis</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Boston gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Isaiah Thomas</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Arron Afflalo <a href="http://www.nba.com/news/2014-15-trade-tracker/">to the Portland Trail Blazers from the Denver Nuggets</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Portland gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Arron Afflalo, Alonzo Gee</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Denver gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Will Barton, Victor Claver, Thomas Robinson, lottery-protected 2016 1st-round pick</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Kevin Garnett <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--kevin-garnett-oks-trade-to-timberwolves-184640335.html">to the Minnesota Timberwolves from the Brooklyn Nets</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Minnesota gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Kevin Garnett</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Brooklyn gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Thaddeus Young</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Tayshaun Prince <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/celtics_insider/2015/02/tayshaun_prince_traded_to_detroit_for_jerebko_datome">to the Detroit Pistons from the Boston Celtics</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Detroit gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Tayshaun Prince</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Boston gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Jonas Jerebko, Gigi Datome</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>JaVale McGee <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sixers-javale-mcgee-trade-2015-2">to the Philadelphia 76ers from the Denver Nuggets</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Philadelphia gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> JaVale McGee, Oklahoma City Thunder's 2015 1st-round pick (top-18 protected),&nbsp;<span>Chu Chu Maduabum</span></span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Denver gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Cenk Akyol</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>K.J. McDaniels <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--rockets-acquire-guards-pablo-prigioni--k-j--mcdaniels-in-separate-trades-210656603.html">to the Houston Rockets from the Philadelphia 76ers</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Houston gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> K.J. McDaniels</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Philadelphia gets:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Isaiah Canaan, 2nd-round pick</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Ramon Sessions <a href="http://www.si.com/nba/2015/02/19/wizards-kings-trade-andre-miller-ramon-sessions">to the Washington Wizards from the Sacramento Kings</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>Washington gets:</strong> Ramon Sessions</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>Sacramento gets:</strong> Andre Miller</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Pablo Prigioni <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--rockets-acquire-guards-pablo-prigioni--k-j--mcdaniels-in-separate-trades-210656603.html">to the Houston Rockets from the New York Knicks</a>:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Rockets get:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Pablo Prigioni</span></li>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Knicks get:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Alexey Shved, two 2nd-round picks</span></li>
</ul><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/where-are-they-now-1996-nba-draft-2015-2" >Where are they now? The players from Kobe Bryant's legendary 1996 NBA Draft</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nba-trades-deadline-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2">14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/hassan-whiteside-car-crash-almost-kept-him-from-playing-basketball-2015-2Miami Heat player who's the breakout star of the NBA season came close to never playing basketball after age 10http://www.businessinsider.com/hassan-whiteside-car-crash-almost-kept-him-from-playing-basketball-2015-2
Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:14:00 -0500Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54c65589ecad049b228b456b-1199-899/hassan-whiteside-heat-1.jpg" border="0" alt="hassan whiteside heat"></p><p>Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside has been the breakout star of the NBA this season, putting up unexpectedly huge numbers.</p>
<p>Whiteside's path to the Heat hasn't been easy. He was drafted in 2010 by the Sacramento Kings but failed to make an impression. He hopped around to several NBA teams, the D-League, and international teams until he finally landed with the Heat this season.</p>
<p>As recently as three months ago <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hassan-whiteside-dominating-for-miami-heat-2015-1">he was working out by himself at a YMCA</a> and waiting for an NBA team to call.</p>
<p>However, Whiteside almost never even made it to the NBA because of a near life-altering car crash he suffered when he was 10 years old.</p>
<p>Whiteside told the story to <a href="http://heatzone.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/01/26/hit-by-car-hassan-whiteside-almost-died-at-age-10/">Palm Beach Post</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"This was back when I was 10 years old. I was walking to the store in Gastonia and I got hit by a car when I was crossing the highway. I had to go to the hospital. I messed up my knee real bad, and they had to use defibrillators to bring me back. It was pretty traumatic."</p>
<p>Whiteside also mentioned that doctors felt he might have trouble walking normally, let alone playing sports. His growth plate had been hit by the car and doctors thought his legs would be two different lengths.</p>
<p>Whiteside's development wasn't affected and he grew to seven feet with two equal-sized legs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Whiteside credits the numerous obstacles he encountered before breaking through as the reason for his toughness.</p>
<p><span>This season, Whiteside has been one of the best big men in the league since the Heat signed him off the street. In 2015 he's been averaging 14.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game on 66% shooting, turning the heads of all the teams who overlooked him.&nbsp;</span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hassan-whiteside-dominating-for-miami-heat-2015-1#ixzz3RLzd1TjY" >NBA Player Who Was Working Out At His Local YMCA 3 Months Ago Is Now Dominating For The Miami Heat</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hassan-whiteside-car-crash-almost-kept-him-from-playing-basketball-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/putin-51-billion-dollar-sochi-olympics-2015-2">Putin's $51 billion Sochi plan blew up in his face</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/miami-heat-inbound-turnover-vs-wolves-2015-2Miami Heat player passes it to a teammate standing out of bounds in botched inbounds play with 40 seconds lefthttp://www.businessinsider.com/miami-heat-inbound-turnover-vs-wolves-2015-2
Thu, 05 Feb 2015 10:50:00 -0500Scott Davis
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54d38188eab8ea334e836c98-1200-600/miami-heat-turnover-1.jpg" border="0" alt="miami heat turnover"></p><p></p>
<p>The Miami Heat invented a new and terrible way to lose a game on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p>
<p>Down by one point after a made basket with 41 seconds left, Heat point guard Norris Cole inbounded the ball by passing it to big man Hassan Whiteside.</p>
<p>Whiteside passed it back to Cole, who (for some reason)&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">directed Whiteside to walk out of bounds and re-inbound the ball to Cole to start the play. The referee whistled the turnover, and the Timberwolves got the ball right back.</span></p>
<p>Cole apparently didn't realize that he had already inbounded the ball.</p>
<p>Here's the play:</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54d37eb86da811ba1154bbea/miami heat inbounds turnover.gif" border="0" alt="Miami Heat inbounds turnover"></p>
<p>The turnover gave the Wolves the ball back with 40 seconds to play. They missed a jumper, but ate up 15 seconds of clock.</p>
<p>The Heat still got two shots on the final possession of the game, but missed both, losing the game by one point.</p>
<p>After the game, <a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20150204/MIAMIN/gameinfo.html?ls=slt#Q4">Chris Bosh said of the turnover</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Hell yeah, it's a missed opportunity. We're not going to get it back. That's one thing about this league: If you're in a situation where you can't really afford to lose any games, things are slipping away from us...&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">And we're not concentrating. I don't understand that."</span></p>
<p>The inbounds turnover wasn't the sole cause of the loss, but the Heat could have given themselves another opportunity to win the game, and they lost it by committing one of the more foolish turnovers in recent memory.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/miami-heat-inbound-turnover-vs-wolves-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/hassan-whiteside-dominating-for-miami-heat-2015-1NBA Player Who Was Working Out At His Local YMCA 3 Months Ago Is Now Dominating For The Miami Heathttp://www.businessinsider.com/hassan-whiteside-dominating-for-miami-heat-2015-1
Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:54:00 -0500Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54c655226bb3f7ec2d8b457b-1199-899/hassan-whiteside-heat.jpg" border="0" alt="hassan whiteside heat"></p><p>The Miami Heat have gotten an unexpected boost from a player they signed in late November.</p>
<p>Center Hassan Whiteside was out of the NBA after being waived by the Memphis Grizzlies before the season. Before that, Whiteside spent most of his career toiling in the D-League and playing overseas in China and Lebanon.</p>
<p>After the Grizzlies cut Whiteside, he told ESPN, <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400578949">he spent his time at his local YMCA waiting for another chance</a>: </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span>Three months ago I was at the downtown Y just chilling, working on my game. I couldn't get a team to pick up the phone.</span></span></p>
<p>Even after signing with Miami, Whiteside was assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the D-League. But after rejoining the Heat in mid-December, he has been one of the team's best players.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Whiteside recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and <em>12 blocks</em> in just 25 minutes off the bench in a victory over the Bulls. It was the quickest triple-double with blocks in NBA history.</p>
<p>The Bulls shot just 35% for the game, partly because Whiteside was turning away anybody who entered the paint:</p>
<div><div>
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<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Earlier this year, </span><a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/21239/rookie-whiteside-fitting-in-well-with-heat">Whiteside said he turned down</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> bigger contract offers overseas to try to make it in the NBA:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">It wasn't about the money. That's why I went to the D-League. I said, 'I'm going to give it all I got this year and just try to make it back to the NBA.' It's paying off right now. I could've gone to China and signed a contract, but I really had to dig deep.</p>
<p>Through nine games in January, Whiteside is averaging 21 minutes, 12 points, 8.6 rebounds, and four blocks per game. Prior to this season, his career averages were 1.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in just 19 total games.</p>
<p>After his huge triple-double on Sunday, Whiteside also provided a fantastic quote about his true motivator this season, his video game rating.</p>
<p>"I'm just trying to really get my NBA2K rating up," he said.</p>
<div>
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</div><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hassan-whiteside-dominating-for-miami-heat-2015-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-reuniting-dwyane-wade-2014-12The NBA World Is Freaking Out Over A Video With LeBron James Seemingly Suggesting A Reunion With Dwyane Wadehttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-reuniting-dwyane-wade-2014-12
Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:30:00 -0500Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54a45f3beab8ea6a3e8b4569-889-666/wade-and-lebron-hugging.jpg" alt="wade and lebron hugging" border="0"></p><p>When LeBron James chose to go back to the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer, the common consensus was this would be James' last move in free agency. After all, how could he possibly leave Cleveland <em>again</em> after his homecoming?</p>
<p>Though <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-max-contract-tv-2014-10">James is only on a two-year contract</a>, it's been widely assumed that it's simply for financial reasons.</p>
<p>However, with the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-says-cavaliers-are-not-a-very-good-team-2014-12">Cleveland Cavaliers struggling</a> early on, some are starting to speculate — and some teams are even hoping — that James could once again take his talents elsewhere.</p>
<p>Making speculation more rampant, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/2qxt0i/listen_to_this_link_carefully_did_lebron_say_to/?sort=top">somebody on Reddit has discovered</a> a video in which James can be heard possibly suggesting a reunion with former teammate Dwyane Wade down the road.</p>
<p>The NBA-produced video is a collection of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikhitrmKBc8">highlights from the Heat-Cavaliers game on Christmas Day</a>. At the end of the game, James and Wade embrace and begin talking. </p>
<p>As the video fades out, James can be heard saying what sounds like, "<span>Like I said, if we aren't better this year, we're gonna re-unite again and do some bigger and better things, alright?"</span></p>
<p><span>There isn't video of the quote — the highlights fade out into a page to subscribe to the channel — so we can't read lips or even decipher physical reactions from either player.</span></p>
<p><span>But what else could that mean?</span></p>
<p>This also surfaces after reports of <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12092236/divide-exists-cleveland-cavaliers-players-coach-david-blatt-sources">dissatisfaction with head coach David Blatt</a> and <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24923511/report-lebron-james-wont-hesitate-to-leave-cavs-if-hand-is-forced">James being willing to leave Cleveland</a> if things don't go as planned. While <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-on-forming-big-3-lebron-james-2014-12">Dwyane Wade has said he wouldn't want to form a Big 3 again</a>, this could be construed as an arrangement the two agreed upon before James left Miami.</p>
<p>Or it could be a number of things. The Cavaliers are only 31 games into their season, and the youth of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love suggest a higher upside than James, at 30, reuniting with Wade.</p>
<p>NBA reporter Ethan Skolnick tweeted that this isn't outside the realm of possibility:</p>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/HPbasketball">@HPbasketball</a> they have both been hinting, separately, at future collaboration 4 a while. I have taken it to mean off court. But video odd. </p>— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/550381059612098560">December 31, 2014</a>
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<p>Let the speculation begin! Watch the full video below. The interaction occurs at about 2:44:</p>
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ikhitrmKBc8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p class="embed-spacer"></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wade-never-sold-lebron-heat-2014-12#ixzz3NVfp9y61" >Dwyane Wade Explains Why He Never Tried To Convince LeBron James To Sign With Miami</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-reuniting-dwyane-wade-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/wade-never-sold-lebron-heat-2014-12Dwyane Wade Explains Why He Never Tried To Convince LeBron James To Sign With Miamihttp://www.businessinsider.com/wade-never-sold-lebron-heat-2014-12
Fri, 26 Dec 2014 08:43:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p>The night before LeBron James announced his decision to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a local news station got <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-wade-talk-miami-flight-2014-7">video of Dwyane Wade and him talking on the tarmac</a>&nbsp;at Miami International Airport.</p>
<p>It was the peak of the LeBron free agency hysteria. The blare of a jet engine obscured their voices, but we speculated about what they said anyway.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53bfebfdecad04856763f3e0/lebron-wade-chat.gif" border="0" alt="lebron wade chat"></p>
<p><em>Was this Wade begging him to stay?!</em></p>
<p>It turns out that <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2305661-dwyane-wade-on-lebron-james-miami-return-i-hope-our-fans-are-appreciative">Wade never tried to recruit LeBron to re-sign with Miami</a>, he told Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report.</p>
<p>Wade and LeBron are friends, he explained, and he didn't want his own situation to taint the advice he gave LeBron:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"That's all I ever will be is Dwyane the friend. Dwyane the teammate, I'm not that guy. I knew whenever it comes to somebody having to do what's best for them, I'm always going to take myself out of it and give them the best advice I feel I can give. I'm not going to be biased and give them what I think is going to be best for me. I'm going to give them what I feel is best for them, and I've always been that way in any situation. I tried to be selfless. I took being his teammate out of it and I was just his friend. It was as simple as saying, 'Do what’s best for LeBron James, because everybody is going to benefit from you. You stay in Miami, we benefit from you. Wherever you go, do what's best for you, because wherever you play, somebody is going to benefit off of you. So you have to be happy with your situation.'"</p>
<p>The <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2305661-dwyane-wade-on-lebron-james-miami-return-i-hope-our-fans-are-appreciative">whole interview is worth reading</a>. The impression that you get is that Wade felt the Big 3 had run its course, and he's not regretful at all that they couldn't stay together for longer than four years.</p>
<p>LeBron scored 30 in a losing effort in his return to Miami on Christmas.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wade-never-sold-lebron-heat-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-on-forming-big-3-lebron-james-2014-12Dwyane Wade Says He Wouldn't Want To Form A 'Big 3' Againhttp://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-on-forming-big-3-lebron-james-2014-12
Mon, 22 Dec 2014 12:54:00 -0500Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/527bf04569beddbf08df1735-1200-924/dwyane-wade-22.jpg" border="0" alt="Dwyane Wade"></p><p>The Miami Heat have struggled since losing LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers this past summer. They lost the most impactful offensive player in the NBA, and one of the best wing defenders in the league.</p>
<p>Though <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-has-ball-more-without-lebron-james-2014-11">Dwyane Wade has enjoyed a return to his old role</a>, the Heat are just 13-15 in a weak Eastern Conference, and don't appear to be anywhere close to title contention like they were with James in the fold.</p>
<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2305661-dwyane-wade-on-lebron-james-miami-return-i-hope-our-fans-are-appreciative">Speaking with Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick</a>, Wade seems pretty content with the state of the Heat.</p>
<p>Wade mentioned that if the Heat's Big 3 stayed together too long, their legacy would have been tainted. Instead, he said that going to four-straight Finals in four years is something people will make a documentary about.</p>
<p>Wade also said that he understands what the Cavaliers are going through in adjusting to their new Big 3, and that <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2305661-dwyane-wade-on-lebron-james-miami-return-i-hope-our-fans-are-appreciative">he wouldn't want to go through the process again</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Oh, we very well know what Kyrie [Irving] and Kevin [Love] are going through on a nightly basis, and even LeBron. You know, the thing is, [James] can do it again, because he's a little younger, but I wouldn't want to do it all over again. That was a grind, man. It was a great grind, because we got success out of it. But I wouldn't want to do it all over again. More kudos to him for doing it all over again. You've got to go through the same process, you know."</p>
<p>When Skolnick suggested LeBron could ask Wade to join Cleveland in two years when Wade is a free agent, Wade <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2305661-dwyane-wade-on-lebron-james-miami-return-i-hope-our-fans-are-appreciative">just laughed</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Ha, ha!" Wade said. "Ha, ha, ha! Ahhh! That's funny!"</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Funny enough that the loud laughter went on for six seconds.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"That is funny," Wade said. "I can't, I ain't even got an answer for that. Man, that's funny. We're gonna leave it at that."</p>
<p>Wade hasn't shown signs of slowing down, averaging 22.8 points on 51% shooting with 5.5 assists per game this year. Perhaps in two years Wade will be hungry to compete for a championship again, but as of now, he does seem content in Miami.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-has-ball-more-without-lebron-james-2014-11#ixzz3MeFsrO6Y" >Dwyane Wade's Job Has Changed Since LeBron James Left Miami — And He's Happy About It</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dwyane-wade-on-forming-big-3-lebron-james-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-miami-2014-12LeBron James' First Season Back In Cleveland Is Off To A Much Slower Start Than His First Season In Miamihttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-miami-2014-12
Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:14:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>On the surface, LeBron James' first season back with the Cleveland Cavaliers looks a lot like his first season with the Miami Heat. But if we look a little closer, this season has not been nearly as good so far.</p>
<p>Both the 2010-11 Heat and this year's Cavs started off slow and then picked up the pace. Through 23 games, the Cavs are 14-9, just one game behind the 2010-11 Heat who started 15-8. But if we look at point differential, a sign of how dominant a team has been, that Heat team actually played much better.</p>
<p>Through 23 games, the Cavs have outscored their opponents by 100 points. A team that does that would be <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/glossary.html#wins_pyth">expected to win</a> 15 of 23 games, one more than the Cavs have so far. But at the same point in 2010, the Heat had outscored their opponents by 199 points. That translates to an expected record of 18-5 indicating a much more dominant performance early in the year and a team much better than their record.</p>
<p>There is still a lot of time left in the season. But that Heat team, which reached the NBA Finals, had already shown flashes of dominance not seen in this year's Cavs team.</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5491f6d3ecad041942c55a08-800-600/01-684.png" border="0" alt="Cleveland Cavaliers Chart"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-miami-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-bosh-was-ok-losing-to-spurs-in-the-finals-2014-12Chris Bosh Explains Why He Accepted Losing To The San Antonio Spurs In The 2014 NBA Finalshttp://www.businessinsider.com/chris-bosh-was-ok-losing-to-spurs-in-the-finals-2014-12
Wed, 10 Dec 2014 17:35:04 -0500Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/548863f9ecad04e73f8b4567-1096-821/chris-bosh-tim-duncan-finals.jpg" border="0" alt="Chris Bosh Tim Duncan Finals"></p><p>The San Antonio Spurs impressed the sports world in 2014 by blowing away the Miami Heat in five games in the NBA Finals.</p>
<p>The Heat were in their fourth straight Finals appearance, going for the highly coveted "threepeat" — a journey <a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/qa-chris-bosh-on-being-no-1-in-miami-hitting-the-books-and-the-power-of-trust/">Chris Bosh told Zach Lowe</a> was "draining."</p>
<p>Bosh also told Lowe that the Spurs recognized it was their moment and seized it.</p>
<p>Bosh explained that winning in the NBA is now about playing great, systematic basketball. He explained the Spurs don't necessarily <em>look</em> like a championship team, but&nbsp;"T<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">hey will run you into the ground. Because they buy into their system, and they do it together."&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Bosh continued, saying he could accept losing to the Spurs because of how well they played in their system:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The Spurs trust each other to the fullest. It’s the best basketball I ever saw. And I told them that after they beat us. That’s why I wasn’t really that bummed out. I was like,&nbsp;<em>Man, if I’m gonna get beat, it’s by you guys. I can respect that."</em></p>
<p><span>The Spurs actually played similarly to the Heat with rapid-fire ball movement inside, outside, and around the perimeter. But in the Finals, San Antonio's offense got unbelievably hot, and it fueled their defense, too, allowing them to blow Miami out.</span></p>
<p>The Spurs' dismantling of the Heat may very well have been the most impressive basketball the NBA has seen in years, and it's inspired teams across the NBA to try and create a similar, all-encompassing style of play.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ettore-messina-on-gregg-popovich-2014-12#ixzz3LVcatEo7" >55-Year-Old Legend Who Quit His Job To Work For The Spurs Explains Why Gregg Popovich Is A Genius</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-bosh-was-ok-losing-to-spurs-in-the-finals-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/bosh-warning-lebron-love-2014-11Chris Bosh's Warning About What It's Like To Play With LeBron James Is Coming Truehttp://www.businessinsider.com/bosh-warning-lebron-love-2014-11
Tue, 25 Nov 2014 15:56:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5436a7ff6da81121358483c5-1136-852/chris-bosh-miami-heat-3.jpg" border="0" alt="chris bosh miami heat"></p><p>Before this season, Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2225639-kevin-love-faces-unsettling-transition-alongside-lebron-says-chris-bosh">made some interesting comments</a> about the downside of playing with LeBron James.</p>
<p>Bosh had to sacrifice his game more than anyone else during Miami's Big 3 era, and he warned Kevin Love and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers they were going to go through the same thing.</p>
<p>It wasn't a criticism of James; it was a recognition that it's tough to go from being a star player to a sidekick.</p>
<p>"Everybody says they want to win," <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2225639-kevin-love-faces-unsettling-transition-alongside-lebron-says-chris-bosh">Bosh told Bleacher Report</a>. "But when you start talking about sacrifice and doing what's right for the team, it's like, 'Wait a minute, I didn't mean that. I want to win, but...' There's always a conjunction with that. It's never what you think it is. And it's always like your weakest point where you got to do it." </p>
<p>He warned Kevin Love that learning to take a backseat to the best player in the world would be<a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2225639-kevin-love-faces-unsettling-transition-alongside-lebron-says-chris-bosh"> "extremely difficult and extremely frustrating</a>."</p>
<p>After 13 games, it looks like Bosh's prediction was spot on. The Cavs are 6-7, and Love is struggling to find his role in the offense. </p>
<p>A year ago, Love was one of the most unstoppable offensive players in the league. He averaged nearly 26 points and got to the free throw line about eight times per game. He finished the season third in player efficiency rating, behind only LeBron and Kevin Durant.</p>
<p>This year his numbers have fallen off a cliff. He's averaging about 16 points and getting to the free throw line five times per game. He's taking six fewer shots a night and shooting 40%, his worst shooting percentage since his injury-plagued 2012-13 season.</p>
<p>Love sounded dejected when <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/cleveland-cavaliers/post/_/id/79/love-still-finding-way-but-lebron-positive">talking to ESPN's Dave McMenamin about feeling lost</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"It's come to a point where I'm just trying to find myself in this offense. It's almost related to when you come into the league; usually the guys that dominate the ball so much tend to learn a lot quicker than a guy like myself, a big man. So, I'm just trying to find different spots in the offense."</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Like anything it's going to take time. I'm not worried about it. I'm not mad at it, don't feel any sort of grudge or anything like that. I just want to help this team. I think I came here to win and we're going to figure it out. It's still early." </p>
<p>Love has gone from the center of the universe in Minnesota to a bit part in Cleveland. He's not getting the ball as often as he'd like, or in the areas of the court that he'd like. But that's the sacrifice he made by orchestrating his trade to Cleveland. He must have seen this coming. </p>
<p>Back in October, Bosh <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2225639-kevin-love-faces-unsettling-transition-alongside-lebron-says-chris-bosh">used a food analogy to describe the exact thing that Love is going through on the court</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"You just get your entree and that's it. It's like, wait a minute, I need my appetizer and my dessert and my drink, what are you doing? And my bread basket. What is going on? I'm hungry! It’s a lot different. But if you can get through it, good things can happen. But it never gets easy. Even up until my last year of doing it, it never gets easier."</p>
<h3 class="embed-spacer">NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-diet-lose-weight-cleveland-cavaliers-basketball-nba-2014-10">How LeBron James Lost All That Weight Last Summer</a>
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